Conductivity
by Samayo Kaze
Summary: Okay Guys, so dying? Not really on my agenda that night. Like, at all. But it happened. And waking up afterwards? Also not part of the plan. Also happened. Staring into dark black eyes, one thing become increasing clear to me: my luck is terrible. After dying, 22 year-old Evaline Jones wakes up as 3 year-old Kaida in Konoha. OC Self-Incert
1. Arriving in Konoha

"Speaking"

 _Thoughts_

" _English"_

*Sign language*

It was a cold, wet day in October when the emergency call came in. An ambulance was dispatched and the nearest officers on duty were alerted but by the time the flashing blue and red lights arrived on the scene it was too late. A body lay on the riverbank, soaked through and covered in bruises and gashes. Lying next to the body is a wet sack that was found to contain the bodies of three puppies that were later shown to have died of exposure to the elements. Cause of death for the young woman found next to the river is thought at first to be drowning, but despite water being found in her lungs the true cause of death is recorded as asphyxiation through strangulation. The identity of the young woman is never discovered.

Walking home on a dark, rainy evening through the warehouse district was, in hindsight, not the best idea. While safe enough during the day, and regularly patrolled during the night, it was still a dangerous area and most knew to avoid it once the sun went down. Which, I did in fact know. I just didn't care enough. It was late, I had been working for the last 18 hours and had to be at class in another 7. So despite the risks involved I took the shortcut through the warehouse district that follows along the edge of the river. It would have been fine had I not stumbled upon a man stuffing something small and crying into a sack before tying it close and tossing it into the fast running water. I might have even managed that except for one thing. It had been raining the last several days and the river was unusually high and faster than I had ever seen it. I didn't even have time to consider the danger, as soon as I saw the sack go flying I took off sprinting as fast as I could. I flew past the bastard and threw myself into the water after the sack. The water was freezing and it felt like there were rocks everywhere as I was tossed about in the current. I broke above the water gasping, but was still close enough to grab the sinking sack and haul it to the surface. I managed to work my way back to the shoreline, slamming into rocks as a way to keep moving sideways. Bruised and half drowned, I reached the river's edge and hauled myself and the sack back unto dry land. Still breathing hard, I untie the sack with shaking hands before I was ripped away. I jabbed an elbow back and manage to turn around to face my attacker to see that the person who had grabbed me was the same man that had tossed whatever small creature where in the sack to drown. Dazed from the river, the next thing I knew the man had his hands rapped around my throat. I struggle as best I could, but exhausted and half-drowned there is nothing I can do as the world goes dark around me. My last thought is that I definitely should have just taken a cab.

And so, on October 19th at 2:01 a.m. 22-year-old Evaline Jones closes her eyes for the last time. And a universe and several months away, at 2:02 a.m. on February 19th 3 ½ year old Hunter Kaida opens her eyes for the first time.

And promptly screams.

Tiny hands immediately clamp themselves over her mouth, and she just sits there for several minutes breathing heavily through her nose. It's still dark, but my surroundings have changed drastically and NOT because I've been taken to a hospital. I'm also drastically smaller than I'm used to being, though I seem to have gained more hair as some of it gets trapped beneath me and pulls harshly. I have no idea what's happened here or where I am, but it's too open and I scramble out of the clearing and into the surrounding trees. I don't stop once I've entered the tree line, some inner feeling driving me onwards for what feels like hours but is probably not even one. Eventually, I come across a group of giant trees and one has some exposed roots. Exhausted and with nothing left to loose I crawl down into the potential safety and curl up into a ball. _Everything will make more sense in the morning, hopefully this is all just some hallucination and I'll wake up in the hospital._

Morning came early


	2. Sanctuary

Chapter 2

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

I woke to the sounds of startled birds. In the early gray of predawn the forest seems unnaturally silent. Nothing moved so neither did I, praying that this was all just a bad dream. It wasn't. My hair stands on end and all my senses are on high alert as I stare out into the darkness, hidden by the protective roots of my shelter. Something is out there, some predator. I wait for several minutes-barely breathing out of fear-before the source of the unease reveals itself. Or, more accurately, themselves. Appearing out of the darkness are two men, no two ninja. Both are visibly armed and deathly silent as they move. One carries a blade of some kind and the other has senbon but both have what looks like weapon pouches. Both also wear Konoha hitai-ate. _'Well,"_ I think semi-hysterically, _'At least now I know where I am.'_ The two investigate the area for several minutes, clearly searching for something- _'Or someone'-_ and I squeeze my eyes shut every time one of them nears me out of strait up paranoia that they might somehow give my hiding spot away.

"It's no good," one of them say finally. I hear a faint metal clink. "The trail ends here. No sign of anything being disturbed, no chakra trails to chase, nothing."

"Maybe the Chuunin were right and it was just an animal," the other offers lightly, turning to survey the area again.

"Maybe," the first answers, eyes lingering near my tree, "Maybe."

I stop breathing.

He turns away.

"Come on, let's go report to the Hokage. There's nothing more we can do here."

I don't know how long it took me to move after the two shinobi left, but it must have been nearly an hour. The second I managed to wrap my head around what was happening, who I had seen, I bolted. Roots ripped at my hair and skin as I tore myself out of last night's shelter and fled in the opposite direction of the shinobi. Panic started to set in as it dawned on me what had to have happened. _'Oh no. Oh nO. No. NonononononononONONONONO!'_ My vison blurred as I ran, tears spilling down my face and panic casting a haze over everything except my need to get away.

Predictably, I tripped.

Stunned, I lay in a jumbled pile on the ground staring up at the sky where it peaked through the trees. _'Oh'_ I think, a little dazed, ' _It's a clearing.'_

The sound of running water eventually draws my attention, the sound settling my frayed nerves and frantic emotions. _'Okay,'_ I think, _'Okay.'_ I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. _'Okay, so I'm in the Naruto 'verse. This is a thing now. A real, actual, proper thing. That I'm a part of. Apparently.'_ I groan, covering my face with my hands tiredly. _'I'm in a thrice damned self-insert.'_ A flash of memory; a wriggling sack, bashing waters, and unyielding hands _'Because I died,'_ I realize belatedly, one hand drifting down to my neck. _'Wow,'_ I think faintly, _'that's really cliché.'_ My breathing stutters and I swallow hard, shoving that line of thought away. Nope, not dealing with all this right now. Dragging in another breath I push myself up, needing something else to focus on. My body throbs in protest, causing a groan to slip through my otherwise silent lips. My time in this world has not been overly kind, though I was thankfully not tossed headfirst into battle. A lock of hair slips foreword over my shoulder and I reach out to grab it thoughtfully. _'Distraction achieved.'_ Grasping it gently, I eye the pale shock of rough hair. Before, my hair had been red, like bronze, and strait and thin. Now it's thick and wild, rough almost like animal fur and so dirty I can't be sure if it's white or gray or just a very pale brown. It's different, I'm different. _'I wonder what I look like now,'_ I think softly. Casting a look around my surrounding reveals what looks like it might be a small building hidden among some trees near the edge of the clearing and, more importantly right now, a creek or maybe a river offshoot close by. I spot the shallow river nearby and push myself to my feet. My first few steps are hesitant, but once I am assured of my balance I move far more steadily. Kneeling at the water's edge, I peer carefully down at my reflection.

A stranger's face looks back at me.

It is the mint green eyes stand out the most. Clear and bright, the admittedly quite pretty eyes are paired with a small nose and chubby cheeks that still carry plenty of baby fat. The hair is next, filthy and badly tangled with all sorts of twigs and leaves sticking out. It's so dirty that I can't even distinguish a specific color, but it's probably blonde or maybe a light brown. And I'm so young, dear God I'm young. Just a child really, probably not even 5 years old. My clothing has changed too, I notice now, my nice dress shirt having become a dark green kimono-style top with a tan t-shirt underneath and brown shorts replacing my slacks. I take a deep breath, and then a second. Everything is too much now that I've seen for myself the changes to my appearance. This is no dream, I can't even try to lie to myself any longer, and all I want to do is curl up and bawl my eyes out. _**"Freaking Konoha,"**_ I mutter roughly, rubbing at my eyes as I push myself back up and away from my new reflection. The sun has risen high in the sky and the shadows are short as I make my way across the clearing towards the building that I thought I spotted earlier. _'It's an old building,'_ is the first thing I notice as I approach through the trees surrounding it. And it clearly is, the wood heavily weathered and obviously unmaintained. I carefully push open the door, flinching slightly as the door creaks from disuse and scrapes against the floor. I peak into the dark building, but other than the incredibly thick layer of dust everything seems to be in order. There are no fallen beams or damaged walls that I can see, so I creep inside and just hope that the building is still structurally sound. The building is fairly small, but it's also private and clearly abandoned. It would make a good shelter for me to stay in until I can figure out what I'm going to do. My bare feet leave deep imprints in the thick dust as I walk around the interior walls of the building. It is octagonal in shape, with a raised square something in the middle. _'It's a shrine,'_ I realize eventually, _'A small, abandoned shrine in the middle of the forest.'_ I vaguely remember reading something from back home where a person could claim sanctuary from inside a church, and think that shrines and churches play a similar role. _'That's what this place is going to be,'_ I decide, eyes trailing across the interior of the shrine.

' _My Sanctuary.'_


	3. Settling in

Chapter 3

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

The thick dust swirls lazily in the sunlight spilling in from the open door. There is a heavy feeling in the air settling around me, as if I were being judged, as I stand at the threshold of the shrine. _'First things first, this dust has to go.'_ I scout out the shrine's interior, poking through various nooks and shelves looking for rags or some other scraps of cloth to clean up the dust with. Not finding anything, I frown before pulling off my over-shirt and folding it up carefully. Starting in the back I begin to push the massive amount of dust towards the door. I have to stop constantly to beat my makeshift duster against the doorframe in order to remove the extra dust. It takes me a few hours, but eventually I manage to get the worst of the dust off the floor and off anything else that is my height or lower. Everything still needs scrubbed down, and most of the shrine still needs to be dusted properly, but the sun has started to sink down behind the trees and I am exhausted so I push the door mostly closed to try and keep out any curious animals and curl up behind the alter-thing using my over-shirt as a pillow. It's warm enough that I don't need a blanket but my shirt smells like dust even though I refolded it so that I could lay on the clean part. Now that I've slowed down though, my day is catching up to me. Tears burn my eyes as I burry my face into my pillow to try and muffle my cries. _'This isn't fair! Why me?! Why did it have to be me?! I don't want this! I DON'T!'_

Eventually I must have cried myself to sleep because I wake up to birdsong and bright light spilling in from the crack in the doorway. Still drained, I grab my shirt and unenthusiastically push myself up and sleepily make my way over to the door and push it open. Squinting unhappily in the sunlight, I slowly stumble my way towards the river's edge. I yawn, staring blankly down at my strange new reflection before squatting down and thrusting my still dusty shirt into the water. I swirl it around for a while before bringing it back out and wringing the extra water out of it before dunking it back in. Frowning, I rub the dirtiest parts together in hopes of removing the worst of it. I have to repeat these motions several times before my shirt stops clouding up the water. After wringing the over-shirt out one last time, I lay it out flat on a nearby rock to dry. It is a warm day and I'm already pretty wet so I pull off the rest of my clothes as well and walk out into knee-deep water and sit down. Taking a deep breath, I dunk my head under the water and start scrubbing at my hair. I come back up for air, feeling remarkably like a drowned rat with all my hair in my face, before going back under. Once I think my hair is as clean as I can get it with just water, I grab a handful of sand from the riverbed and start to rub the filth from my skin. Now feeling reasonably clean and fairly cold, I stand back up and carefully make my way back to the bank and exit the river, squeezing as much water from my hair as I can along the way. Shivering slightly, I do my best to dry off using my still damp over-shirt before redressing quickly. The sun has risen high while I was washing and my stomach growls suddenly and angrily to remind me that I'm hungry. I've been here for over a day and am only now realizing that I haven't eaten anything yet. Water is available easily enough from the river, thank goodness, but I'll need to go search out a supply of food. There's nothing here in the clearing that can offer up either nuts or berries and I can't fish without a pole if there are even fish in the river. Frowning, I ignore my stomach for now and wander back into the shrine to search for a bucket or something to carry while out looking for food. I don't find one, but I do find an old working pulley system that opens up hidden windows in the top of the shrine when I pull on it. Glad to be able to see, but still without a bucket, I decide that I need to actually find some food before I need to worry about carrying anything back so I exit the shrine and pull the door closed behind me. Returning to the river side, I pick up my mostly dry shirt and pull it back on. I walk to the edge of the clearing, but once I reach the tree line I'm hesitant to actually enter the forest. The memories of yesterday weigh heavily on my mind, and I don't want to leave the (probably false) safety of the clearing. But, there isn't any food here so into the woods I must go.

I step carefully, just now realizing that I'm not wearing any shoes. Since I rarely wore them before if I didn't have to, I had completely overlooked the fact that I didn't have any on yesterday. _'I can't remember if I had shoes on when I woke up or not, but if I did then I must have lost them when I fled into the forest.'_ I stick to the shadows as best I can in the afternoon sun, despite knowing that if any ninja are in the area they would have no trouble finding me. I'm not really sure how long I walked along the game trails, finding a few groups of berry bushes and even a couple of trees that have nuts on them by following some deer tracks in the soft forest floor. At one point I come across a fox that I follow to a patch of wild strawberries that look like they are starting to ripen. I do my best to memorize where the berries are, too afraid to make even just small markers to act as a guide. I keep going on this trail in hopes that I can find more patches like the strawberries, but only find a single bush that only has a few berries on it. I eat what's there, but it isn't much and I continue on until the trees start to thin and the trail fades out. The forest is quiet, but not silent like it is if something has spooked all the animals so I keep going. It occurs to me that ninja could probably manage to avoid spooking the animals if they are any good, but I firmly disregard that thought for what remains of my piece of mind. I reach the edge of the trees, hesitant about continuing, but figure that the odds of the game trail going all the way to the village is low and that this is probably just another clearing. I creep up to the edge of the trees and crouch behind the trunk of a tree with several low-lying branches and a small bush just off to the left. Wavering uncertainly, I reach out to grab one of the bush branches that is blocking my view and pull it out of the way.

I immediately regret it.

Past the trees is a dirt road, and on the other side are the backs of buildings. In the distance I can see the giant wall that surrounds Konoha. Releasing the branch, I tuck myself into a ball at the base of the tree in horror. _'Or maybe the trail will lead me straight to the village where the animals no doubt scavenge for scraps.'_ Before I could book it back down the trail-because while yes, I need to know where in the timeline I am it isn't an immediate concern right now-I hear voices coming from just up the road. I freeze, now not able to run but definitely not wanting to stay, before I realize that I can't make out any actual words. Most of the voices are overly loud and sound young, like it's a group of children playing but one sounds older. Cursing my damn curiosity, I stand and shift until I can see out from between the trunk and the bush. The group is loud as it reaches me, and I can't understand a single word of it. That knowledge is pushed aside as the group passes by my hiding place and I can finally see them. There are a lot of children, maybe 10 or 15, with someone who may be an older teen or in their young twenties at the lead. I don't automatically see anyone that I can recognize, though one of the children looks like they have fang marks on their cheeks. So one is an Inuzuka, but it's not Kiba or Hana so that doesn't help me much. I don't see anyone else I can place, though there is one that _might_ be an Aburame. It's a talkative kid in the back the group that catches my attention, though I can't think of why. The kid has cute curly black hair that is cut short and is wearing a black shirt. Then the young boy, no way a girl has hair like that here, turns to talk to one of the other kids and I catch sight of his black eyes. I almost jerk backwards, remembering at the last second that these kids are probably baby ninja and that nothing would catch their attention faster, and my mind catches on the thought of ' _Wha- shit! SHIT!'_ Then the baby Uchiha ( _who is most definitely NOT Sasuke! Shit!)_ shifts slightly and looks directly at me as he passes by.

And our eyes meet.


	4. Panic! At the Shrine

Chapter 4

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

 _There are moments in everyone's life when thing irrevocably change. Times like getting married or having a child where your life gets divided into a before and an after. I didn't know it then, but meeting Shi was one of those moments for me._

 _And our eyes meet._

For a scant few seconds, curious black eyes catch my startled green ones before the young Uchiha walks past with the rest of the group. I whirl around, my back pressed to the tree and my eyes wide. My chest is heaving with the force of my breathing but I know that I have to wait as long as I can before I back deep into the forest. I can't wait for as long as I probably should before I am flying back down the game trail. I run without thinking-entirely focused on getting back to the shrine before I fall apart-not noticing that I automatically know the correct paths to take. I break through the trees with my mind lost in a whirlwind of panic, immediately trip, and slam hard into the ground. Wheezing, I peel myself up off the ground and flop over onto my back. _'That . . . . . that hurt.'_ I lay on the ground for several minutes as I let my breathing and mind calm down. Unwittingly, pure black eyes flash to the front of my mind and I close my eyes with a grimace. _'An Uchiha. A thrice damned Uchiha.'_ I groan and cover my face with my hands. _'Well, that certainly limits the timeline.'_ I know that the Uchiha clan was massacred when Sasuke was 7 and that they had been treated quite poorly after the Kyubi was released. I haven't seen the Hokage Monument yet, but I would guess that the Fourth has already been added. _'Now that I think about it though, those kids looked pretty young. They all looked like they should have only recently started school, but they all seemed fairly well trained.'_ Considering that I know that during the show the starting age is something like 5, there is no way that the whole class would have had such thorough training. The clan kids sure, but not the civilians. _'So, it must be sometime during the third shinobi war. That's . . . . . . not ideal. Not ideal at all. I have to be careful, really careful, or I'll be detained as a spy.'_ It's good that I have a general idea about when I am, but it leaves me with what I should do. I know enough to quite drastically change the timeline, but doing so could make everything so much worse. The forth shinobi war was won by a straight up miracle. I can't risk it being lost. It's terrible, but I have to do my best to interact with as few people as I can. Especially the ninja. In fact, let's have no contact with the ninja. Paranoid bastards the lot of them, and incredibly dangerous. _'Not that I have much of a right to call anyone paranoid anymore,_ ' I huff. It's an unfortunate situation that I'm in right now. I'm not sure how cold it really gets here in the heart of fire country but at the very least my food options will get severely limited come winter. The berries and other plants will be gone, so my only real options are to either somehow learn how to hunt or fish without any gear or to forage in the village with the other street rats. And I don't think my chances are too good with the former. But- _'if I'm going to be relying on the village for scraps, I need to start making appearances beforehand or it is going to be suspicious as all get out.'_ That is . . . . not what I want to be doing at all, but I **really** don't have any better ideas. I'm concerned that someone might catch me if I try to do some basic surveillance, but none of the kids seemed to sense me. The Chuunin didn't react to my presence either and I'm not really sure why. I frown, consider what I know of chakra, and remember that a proper sensing ability is supposed to be fairly rare. _'Maybe the situation isn't quite as bad as it seems. I'll have to start staking out the village soon.'_ That decided, I pick myself up off the ground and head towards the shrine. My new features are pretty eye-catching and my hair is way to memorable. I need to find a way to make it less so. _'Worst comes to worst, I can cover my hair with dirt or mud and make it look brownish.'_


	5. Of Foxes and Findings

Chapter 5

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

' _Nothing. There is absolutely nothing useful in here.'_ I stomp my foot in frustration. I've been slowly going through the shrine looking for anything that could be useful in any way, starting 2 days ago, but there's nothing! Whoever abandoned this shrine made sure that they took everything with them. On the bright side that means that they are almost certainly not coming back, but it also means I don't have anything to work with. _'Dirt will have to work then.'_ Exiting the shrine, I walk over to a bare patch of earth and take off my over-shirt with a grimace and set it aside. I sit down with a huff and grab a thick lock of my new hair. It has already lost its stark white color, looking more of a dingy light gray, from my accidental gravity check the other day and the still slightly dirty floor of the shrine. Reaching down for a handful of dirt, I scrunch up my face before rubbing the rich, dark brown earth into my hair. It works a lot better than I thought it would, turning the lock of hair a light brown color that will blend in well. Pleased with the results, if not the method, I proceed to spend the next few hours coloring the rest of my hair as best I can, trying to keep the color relatively even. I have to go down to the river to color the top of my head, using the reflection as a mirror, but in the end I have a full head of dirty brown hair. Frowning at the dirt smudges all over my face and chest, I carefully try to clean up my face without getting my hair wet. ' _Some dirt is fine, but if I'm too dirty then it will draw attention.'_ I grab my outer-shirt and use it to dry my face off, checking to make sure that my hair is still dry. It is, but my attention has drifted onto my reflection and more specifically my face. Without all the hair to distract me, my new face seems far less alarming. It also seems oddly familiar though I can't figure out how. Deciding that it doesn't really matter, I stand up and consider how I am going to get my over-shirt back on. _'Although, if I leave it off I kind of have a little disguise. If I can find something to pull back my hair with I can sort pull a Kakashi. It'll be like being 2 different people.'_ That's actually really smart-and it sounds way better than just hoping for the best-so I've got to remember to be as different as I can in this form. It shouldn't be too difficult. _'I'm currently a child, so in this form I should act like one. Street rats aren't uncommon, even in Konoha, but they are a lot more common after the Kyubi incident.'_

It's edging into the afternoon now, and I need to head out if I want to do ant surveillance before it gets too late. Folding up my over-shirt, I trot over to the shrine and set it down on the floor where I've been sleeping before closing the door and hurrying out to the tree line. I pick my way carefully down the game trails, struggling to remember which paths I need to take to get back to the village. I have to double back a time or two-or four-plus taking one on-purpose detour for some lunch, before I'm willing to admit that I'm totally lost. I have three options here; I could try back tracking again to see if I can find the correct path, I could keep going and hope for the best, or just give up for the day and head back to the shrine. As I'm deliberating on which of my options I should take, a high-pitched yip sound catches my attention. Standing there further up the trail is a small gray fox. When it sees that it has my attention, it yips again and motions down the trail with its head before turning and walking away. _'Uh . . . .'_ I watch with widening eyes as the fox stops and looks back at me, yipping again. _'Does it want me to follow it?'_ Normally that would be crazy and probably wouldn't even occur to me but this is the Naruto world, everything is crazy here. Besides, _'it could be a summon or something,'_ so I just kind of shrug and follow the fox. It leads me down a series of paths that aren't even vaguely familiar before the path opens up into the wild strawberry patch that leads on to the village edge. I blink in surprise and turn back to the fox only to find that it has disappeared. _**"Oh, well, thank you,"**_ I call out into the empty air. I don't really know what that was all about, but honestly strange things just happen here. I'm working on a system of accepting it and moving on without questioning it. Taking the far path, I creep my way through the thinning trees until I reach the tree line. It is very quiet here today. There are no children out playing or people training nearby. Steeling my nerves, I dart out of the trees and across the street to the backs of what are probably shops of some sort. There is something that might be a dumpster in the empty alley to the left, so I slide out of the open and into the alley way. I am far too small to be able to see into the dumpster, but I can climb up the side so I do that instead. The top is open-thank goodness- so I peer in. There are a lot of different things in the dumpster, so I'm not too sure what it is attached to but I think multiple shops must use it. Poking around a little bit, I hit the jackpot. I find a damaged bowl. It has a long crack down the side and probably can't hold much liquid anymore but it's perfect for gathering berries in. The only thing that could make this better would be if I could find some fabric scraps. Thrilled with my find, I carefully reach down and grab the bowl.

"Hey!"


	6. Oh Deer!

Chapter 6

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

"Hey! What are you doing brat?!"

I jerk up, staring down the alley in horror as the guy who had yelled stumbled towards me. I drop down from my perch, clutching the bowl to my chest, streaking back across the street and out into the forest. I didn't bother to pause to check if I'm being followed, I just run for all I'm worth. Of course, this leads to me becoming very lost very quickly. Chest heaving, I gradually slow down as I become less and less confident of my surroundings. I'm still breathing heavily when I stop fully, standing still in the middle of an unfamiliar path. Lost, but not willing to get caught out in the open, I hurry off the path and tuck myself into some of the brush along the side of the path. I curl up around my new find within the brush, hoping that any pursuers would just pass by me. My breath escapes me in loud pants, so I cover my mouth with one of my hands to try and muffle the sound. I'm not sure how long I'm laying here, but it is long enough for my breathing and heart rate to calm back down. Still frightened, if no longer panicked, I cautiously peek out of the brush. It's quiet out. Not abnormally quiet though, just the muted hush of the forest when there are no predators about. It should be a comfort to me, but after facing yet another human-one who got a good look at me even- there is no comfort to be found. By now, there is clearly no one coming. _'Or if there is, then even the animals can't hear them'_ That is not a comforting thought.

I withdraw back into the brush, feeling exhausted. Eventually it starts to get dark, the sun sinking low in the sky, and I hear a soft rustling sound come from nearby. I stiffen, my slowly relaxed posture disappearing in an instant. The rustling comes closer and closer, and eventually I come face to face with what has been making the noise.

Okay, so, there's good news and bad news with this

The good news is that the thing making the sounds isn't human. Which means that I probably wasn't followed.

The bad news is that I'm now kneeling face to face with one of the Nara's deer.

' _Shit.'_

I freeze, Hidan's death flashing to the forefront of my mind. These are not normal deer (and honestly, strictly speaking, I'm not convinced that there ARE any normal animals in this world) and as far as I'm aware they don't leave the Nara's lands. Which would make THIS Nara land. And me a trespasser. I remember very vividly what happened to the last known trespasser to the Nara's land. The doe, or at least I think it'-she's- a doe, there are no antlers at any rate. Anyway-the doe snuffs at my face, breath ruffling my loose bangs. Nosing me gently, the doe backs me carefully out of the brush and back out onto the path. With wide eyes I allow the doe to guide me, moving slowly so as to not startle the animal. Brushing past me, the doe starts off along the path with me in tow. I've learned after the fox to just follow after the suspiciously intelligent wildlife. She leads me down the trail, taking several turns and constantly checking to make sure that I'm keeping up. Eventually, she stops at an intersection of several paths and after a moment the brush rustles and the same gray fox from earlier tumbles out. The doe nods, butts against me gently, and disappears back up the path. Left with the fox, I turn expectant eyes on the small creature and it yips at me before taking off with a swirl of its tail. I run after it, bare feet thumping loudly in comparison as I race down the trails after my guide. It is almost completely dark now, trees blocking out any moonlight, as we start to pass by areas that might be familiar in the light. I lose sight of the fox shortly before I burst through the trees, stumbling to a halt in the clearing I have claimed as my own. The moon is high, and out of the trees it is much easier to make my way across the way to the shrine's door. Yawning, I push the door open and close it heavily behind me. I stumble my way through the darkness to my over-shirt and sink down to the floor, burring my face into my makeshift pillow and signing in relief.

I'm out in seconds.


	7. Laundry Day

Chapter 7

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

I wake the next morning to the sun shining onto my face. I'm exhausted still, but I'm even more hungry so I stumble my way over to the door still half asleep. On my way over, I accidentally kick something. With a confused frown I wedge the door back open, letting light flood the shrine. There laying on the ground is a cracked ceramic bowl. I blink in confusion for several seconds before the events of yesterday come back to me. _'Oh, right. Right. Okay. That happened then.'_ I hesitate before grabbing the bowl and going back for my over-shirt. Heading down towards the river, I try to decide what I'm going to do about yesterday. Considering that the doe led me back, it's probably safe for me to stay here and with the bowl I can now store extra food. It won't be much, but a little is much better than nothing. I definitely can't go back to the village though. Not for a few days at least. Reaching the river, I sit the bowl aside and start washing my over-shirt. It won't do any good to use a dirty cloth to clean the bowl and it is probably past time to do laundry anyways. For that matter, it's probably time for a bath as well. I look down at my reflection and grimace. I'm completely filthy. Still, it would be smarter to wait until after I trek out foraging than to do so once I get clean. With my shirt cleaner, I reach over and grab my bowl. Dunking it in the water, I scrub at it with a handful of sand to try and get as much filth off of it before I need to use my shirt as a rag. I did pull it out of a dumpster after all.

With my bowl as clean as I can make it and my over-shirt rewashed and laying on a nearby rock to dry, I set off into the forest. It is only around noon, but if I want to wash up and dry off before it gets dark then I need to hurry. No exploring for me today. I carefully pick my way down the trails, bowl in hand, heading for area with large patches of berries. It goes well and I even manage to identify some nuts as eatable, so by the time I return to the clearing both my bowl and my stomach are full. I set my haul down in the shrine and skip back to the river. Stripping down, I wade out into the water and submerge myself. The water turns to murky almost instantly. I come back up for air and start scrubbing at the lower half of my hair. Once I get that part clean, I dunk my head back under the water and start on the top half. I pay special attention to my scalp to make sure that I get it clean. It takes me several dunks and most of the rest of the day, but in the end my hair is once again completely dirt free. I wash the rest of my clothes and then drag myself out of the river. Once I'm out, I squeeze as much water out of my hair as I possibly can. Getting sick out here would be a terrible idea. I dry off with my over-shirt and lay my wet clothes on the rocks to dry. I lean back against the rock that is still warm from the sun and braid back my damp hair, leaving the end loose since I don't have a hair tie. In the dying light, I take a few minutes to just enjoy the world around me. It's true that this world is full of death and destruction, but it is also a very beautiful place filled with wonderful people. I may not be able to appreciate the people, but the landscape is right here in front of me all the time to enjoy. There just aren't places like this back home. It's . . . . . nice.

With darkness fallen and my clothes mostly dry, I dress and then retreat back to the shrine for bed. I'm careful to avoid stepping on the bowl as I enter and shut the door. _'I can't keep getting lost out in the forest, I'll need to map out the trail much more thoroughly. I got really luck with that deer, but I can't and won't bet on it happening again.'_ It would be a lot easier if I knew where the property boundaries are, but I'll just have to be careful. _'I can push off leaving for tomorrow, and maybe the day after, but past that I'll run out of stored food. I need to go back to the village too eventually.'_ That can wait for a couple more days though, I really haven't had the best luck there but I do need the resources. Sigh. But none of that will happen tonight, so for now I content myself with curling up and going to sleep. Morning will come soon enough, and I'll deal with my problems then.


	8. Investigations

Chapter 8

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

Morning dawns bright, the sun shining down through the trees. I yawn, rubbing the grit from my eyes. Sitting up I pull back on my over-shirt and make my way over to the door. I wedge it open before fetching the bowl from where I sat it last night. Moving out inti the porch, I sit down and start compiling a list of what I need to get done while I eat. _'First I really need to do a better investigation of the shrine. The structure is still solid, so if I'm careful I should be able to climb up on the shelves and such without risking them breaking. Then I'm going to need to work my way through the trails much more carefully. I need to do my best to memorize what goes where and how to get where I need to go. After that I've got to tackle the village again. Yikes. Well, looking through the shrine should take most if not all of today. I'll go out into the forest tomorrow and spend the day exploring and gathering. It might take a few days actually. So tomorrow and the next day. Then I'll have to go back to the village. Terrible luck there so far, but I can't afford to avoid it. Definitely sticking to the trees though. No use in inviting trouble in.'_

This decided, I stand back up and reenter the shrine, leaving my bowl behind. After opening up the top shutters all of the way I grab onto the nearest shelf and start climbing. I'm only just tall enough to reach the next shelf up and to then lean over as far as I can to grab onto the lattice work. Carefully, I pull myself across the gap and into the safety of the other shelf. I've already checked the bottom level, but going up too much farther could be really dangerous. It needs to be done though, so I can see if there is anything I can use. I slowly work my way around the second level, finding nothing but more and more dust but also thankfully no weak spots. Unsatisfied, I warily move up to the third level making sure to pay special attention to the wood underneath me. _'So far so good.'_ The third level is not in terrible condition, but it is in notably more disrepair than the other two. Dust has settled so thick that my hands just sink into it. I move even more slowly on this level than I did the other two; after all, a fall from this height could be fatal and dying once was enough for me. I manage to eventually make my way around, finding several soft spots that I carefully avoid _.' It is really lucky that I am so tiny or this whole thing could have gone very differently,'_ I muse as I slowly edge my way back down the shelves and onto the floor. Since I've already checked the ground level, the only thing left is the central dais/alter thing. Approaching it with a frown, I circle it searching for a handhold. There are none, the sides smooth and taller than I am. I could probably reach the top if I stretched but I would not be able to pull myself up. I need someone taller. I sigh, rubbing my tired eyes. Still, there doesn't **seem** to be anything on top of it. _'Though really there could be things hidden all over the place with Chakra and I would never know.'_

Sighing again, I retreat back out onto the porch. Checking the position of the sun, I guess that it is only about 2 in the afternoon or so. Investigating the shrine took less time than I thought it would. _'Hmm, I might have enough time to investigate the forest a little.'_ I take a bit of time to finish off what berries are left before scooting down to the water to get a drink and wash out the bowl. Standing back up O wave the bowl around for little while to try and fling the water off before setting out along the path into the forest. I pick my way along the trails, trying my best to memorize what turns I take and which paths lead to food and which don't. I don't want to venture too far out into the forest today, since it is already so late in the day. My next several hours are spent reviewing the trails closest to the clearing, finding another berry patch in the process. As it starts getting dark, I make my way back to the shrine with a full bowl and aching limbs. Setting the bowls to the side, I lower the shutters back to halfwayish and close the door. Pulling off my over-shirt, I curl up around it. Tomorrow I'll me back in the forest.


	9. I Spy

Chapter 9

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

I've spent the last 2 days mapping out the forest, moving farther and farther out as I go. Yesterday I reached the very edge of the forest, keeping back from the tree line. I've been pushing back approaching the village not out of fear exactly, but definitely worry, but I know that I need to return anyway. I fidget uncertainly a few feet back from the tree line. Steeling my nerves, I creep forwards to the edge of the trees. I settle myself down amidst a clump of soft bushes, making sure that I can still see out. I must have sat there for hours before anyone came by, though it was probably not actually that long. It's the same ninja that I had seen my first night here in this world, the one with the senbon, walking with another ninja I don't recognize. _'Oh, what is his name? G-Gsomething? Ah, it doesn't matter.'_ I must have shifted or something because his eyes snap over to where I'm hiding. I freeze, locking stiff, not even daring to breathe. His gaze settles just to my left, barely on the other side of my clump of bushes. The shinobi don't stop though, don't even pause actually, and just continue on down the road and out of site. I stay that way for a long time after they left, but when nothing happens I slowly relax. Soon after, the sounds of children drift up the road. It is the same group of kids, I realize as they get closer, just a lot dirtier. The teacher looks clean enough, if really tired, but the kids are a different story. Dirt is smudged everywhere across faces and hands and ground into clothing. They look tired too, but that doesn't stop them from chattering loudly. I don't see the baby Uchiha at first, and later I will deny even looking, but as the group reaches me I spot him closer to the middle. Baby Uchiha is sporting a cut across one cheek and a nasty looking bruise on the other. But he's still smiling and laughs at something the Inuzuka says. I watch as they go past, eyes locked on onto the injured Uchiha. Once again no one notices me, the group passing by without incident.

Except for the Uchiha.

Black eyes find me, even when no one else has. Not just near my, like the ninja from earlier, but at me. Eye to eye. We watch each other silently as he reaches and then passes by my hiding spot. He doesn't turn around as he passes me, but I continue to watch until they crest the hill. Just before he moves out of sight the Uchiha turns back. I wait until I can't hear the group anymore, then wait a few minutes more before I detangle myself from the bushes and work my way back through the forest. It isn't **that** late yet but I don't think my nerves can handle staying around any longer. _'It's been a couple of days, I could use a bath,'_ I muse as I break into the clearing. After washing up I spend some time enjoying the sunset while eating some dinner.

The next morning finds me back in the bushes with a small pile of berries for lunch. A few people walk by, some civilians and what might be a merchant, but other than that everything is quiet. I'm nibbling on my lunch when a panting figure bursts over the rise in the road. I pause with a berry halfway to my mouth as the tiny Uchiha straightens, still breathing heavily. I watch with wide eyes as he scans the tree line before narrowing in on where I'm sitting with a smile. My eyes get even wider as he approaches me, but for whatever reason running never crosses my mind. The Uchiha kneels down right in front of me and reaches out to move the leaves out of the way. Once again black meets green.

"Hello."

I stare at him silently. I know enough to be able to tell that that was a hello, but I don't know how to respond. So I wave, small and hesitant. It is more of a wiggling of my fingers than anything else but it makes the Uchiha beam. He waves back, enthusiastic but still contained. He says something else, but the wary feeling creeping up my spine has me tensing and glancing around uncomfortably. The baby Uchiha tilts his head questioningly, but before he can ask an adult jumps down from a nearby roof and catches his attention. I take off as soon as he is distracted, bolting down the trails. I take a wrong turn on purpose, not wanting to lead any potential pursuers back to my clearing. Settling myself down in the roots of an enormous tree, I wait to see if anyone follows. My only visitor is a baby raccoon that stays with me once I feed it the remaining berry from my lunch. After a while the mother comes to retrieve her kit and I decide that it is probably safe for me to return to my own nest. Picking my way back is much easier after having spent several days exploring. I only get lost once, and I quickly realize and correct it. Settled on the porch, I scowl down at my mostly empty bowl. The birds fed well today. I just wish they hadn't fed on my dinner. There is still enough left for tonight, but not for in the morning. I'll have to forage early, and that means either taking my bowl with me or loosing valuable time. Neither option is overly great. What I really need to do is go back to that dumpster. I, ah, I really don't want to do that. Still, I'm not sure that I should risk going back all at for a couple of days. That Uchiha keeps finding me somehow. I'd rather wait and hope that his curiosity blows over after he can't find me. _'So then I'll spend some time tomorrow out in the forest and then, hm, I guess I could spend some time cleaning up the shine. The floor is still fine, but it would probably be better if I cleaned up all of the dust.'_ So that's what I do. Early the next morning I go out and gather breakfast, returning with a fresh bowlful of berries. Then I spend the next three days carefully removing all the dust from the shrine, starting on the third level and working my way down. It is sow going and I have to climb up and down the shelves enough time to last the rest of my life but there is a distinct difference in the air once I'm finished. I stand in the doorway with a proud smile on my face. In the fading light I grab my bowl and set it up on a shelf out of the way. Then I curl up behind the dais, readying myself for tomorrow. Come sunrise I'll be darkening my hair again, and then it's out into the village.


	10. Dumpster Diving Gone Wrong

Chapter 10

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

The rising sun finds me already outside; handfuls of dirt being carefully ground into my hair. I eat a quick breakfast, take a final look at my reflection for any missed hair or over-darkened spots, and then I head out. I pause at the edge of the forest to check for any ninja and then book it across the open road. I waste no time scooting into the alley and up to the dumpster. Climbing up the side, I check to make sure there is no food inside before hauling myself over the lip and landing inside. I wobble, but manage not to fall, and quickly find it much easier to search for things from inside. Since all I have to my name—which I also don't have yet, I'm going to need to think about that—are the clothes on me and my repurposed bowl, I can use just about anything I can find. Still, some cloth scraps are at the top of my wish list. Poking around the piles reveals lots of paper scraps, which while interesting aren't overly useful to me, but also some broken wood bit, what might have been a plate at some point but is now just shattered ceramic, and what I'm pretty sure are bent hair decorations. I dig around a bit more, frowning at my findings because ' _Seriously? What kind of shop even is this?'_

(It's a Stationary store, I later learn, and one of the best around. The trash I'm picking through is better quality than what most other stores sell.)

I none the less manage to scout out some decent brushes—that I don't know what to do with but it can't hurt to have—and even find a few scrolls with ribbon like bindings that I promptly steal. And my most important find: a chipped teapot and a pair of matching cups. Ecstatic, I carefully place the ribbons inside the pot along with a few of the brushes and the least damages hair accessory, because why not? Now getting out of the dumpster is a lot harder than getting in, and not just because my hands are full. I manage by piling things in the corner and setting my finds on top before hauling myself out and carefully ferrying them down to the ground. It takes me three trips. But nothing gets broken to I count it as a win. Carrying everything back is much easier. I leave my new things on the floor of the shrine and glance cautiously at the sun. I got an early start today, so it looks to only be just past noon. If I hurry back, I can probably make another trip. I run back and _almost_ don't bother to check the roadway. Almost.

Something prickles uneasily under my skin and I slow just in time to meet the tree line. There is no one in sight so I carefully creep across the street and over to the entrance of the alley. Ai crouch low to peer down the length of the alley, and low and behold standing there poking at dumpster is the baby Uchiha. Scowling ( _Pouting. Wha- NO! Shut up Shi I wasn't pouting it was a scowl!)_ I eye the baby ninja unhappily. ' _What are the odds that he'll get bored and leave soon,'_ I wonder half-heatedly, _"None that's what.'_ I sigh. The Uchiha turns suddenly in my direction, and I'm up and across the street without looking back. That is more than enough excitement for me today, so I head back to the clearing and spend the rest of the day washing and scowering my new dishes. That's how my next several days go; me trying to make dumpster runs without getting caught and the baby Uchiha trying to find me. Sometimes I manage two runs and sometimes none at all, but usually I can get at least one. Slowly more and more items find homes on once barren shelves, some of which I suspect were left on purpose. Half a vase holds my collection of brushes and pencils. A mostly full bottle of ink that feels slightly strange but works just fine. A few more scroll ribbons for my hair, and even a proper hair tie that was definitely left on purpose. Another tea cup, one that doesn't match the set. And it is fun almost, this little game of hide and seek. I hadn't realized quite how lonely I was feeling until now. Still, I don't particularly want to let him get to close. The Uchiha might be fun, but he's still a threat if only a minor one.

I'm in the middle of a run when everything comes crashing down. While sorting through the new additions from yesterday, a sound comes from outside. I stop, suddenly very still. Then a few more heavy sounds, far too heavy to be the Uchiha. (My Uchiha, a distant part of my subconscious suggests and I promptly Do Not Think About It.) I am suddenly very aware of how trapped I am if something goes wrong. The noises approach and then pass me, and I loose just a tiny bit of tenseness. _'Damn my curiosity,'_ is all I can think when, after some time passes in silence, I carefully peak over the top of the dumpster. A drunk is laying a short ways away, bottle still in hand and spilling everywhere. I need to hurry and leave before the man wakes up, but there is one problem. He is between me and the end of the alley. To get to the forest, I have to go around him. It is also starting to near the time when Baby Uchiha starts to show up, compounding the problem. Not willing to hang around, I slowly start to ease my way out of the dumpster without anything to show for today's trip. Everything goes great until I hit the ground. The drunk snorts and suddenly lurches to his feet. I'm frozen like a deer in headlights even as he fails to notice me. The drunk staggers, mumbling into his bottle. He's still between me and my freedom. I can tell when he sees me, blinking stupidly as he stares.

"Hey, what are you doin' here?"

I don't answer him, and when he stumbles foreword I take several steps back. "Come ba' 'ere," he comes closer and again I retreat. He's still blocking my way. Suddenly the drunk lurches at me and I bolt down the other half of the alley and burst out into the village proper with the drunk chasing at my heels. He may be wasted but he's still an adult and I'm currently a rather small child. He makes a grab for me, misses, and with nothing left to loose I scream loud and high as tries again. For a split second I think he'll have me, and then a hand is grabbing his wrist and I am being pulled away. I struggle against whoever has me and manage to get put down before moving away to take stock of the situation. There gripping the drunk's arm is a fully-grown Uchiha, sharingan spinning. Another one is on my left, and I distantly realize that they must work in pairs, before a commotion starts. The drunk is raging loudly, drawing everyone's attention and so I edge towards the entrance of the alley as unobtrusively as I can. Just as I get a clean shot, and just as the drunk tries to get violent, I spot the baby Uchiha push his way to the front of the crowd. I pause a moment longer, meeting his eyes as he almost immediately zeros in on me, and then I'm racing down the alley with no one else the wiser. I hit the forest and keep going, getting lost for the first time in nearly 3 weeks. I think I end up back in Nara territory, or at least the border of it, nearly running straight into a deer. I don't, but only because the deer has more grace in one hoof then I do in my whole body. _**"S-sorry,"**_ I apologize, because the animals here are generally terrifying but have also done nothing but help me and so deserve manners, before the fox reappears by landing on my head to hopefully lead me back to the shrine.

' _I can't believe this is my life now,'_ I think as I follow the wild fox deeper into the forest.


	11. On Smoke and Mirrors

Chapter 11

"Speaking"

' _Thoughts'_

" _ **English"**_

* **Sign language***

Looking back at it now, it's honestly a miracle that we ever met. If any one little thing had been different, we wouldn't have. I'm so glad we did. I can't even imagine my life without Kaida in it.

 **Their first meeting was an accident.**

Shisui expects a lot to come out of today, he really does. It is the start of Survival Week, after all, and he's been looking forward to showing everyone what he can do. So he's expecting a lot, but he never thought that today might change the rest of his life. It's just like a regular academy day, except that it absolutely isn't, and Shisui is nearly vibrating out of his shoes in excitement. It's Survival Week! Morikosu-sensei has everyone line up and then leads the class out toward the village gate. It's as we walk past a section of forest that everything changes. He's at the back of the class, one of the perks of being tall, and as they pass a particular tree he glances over into the trees. There is an odd feeling in the air. It's like static, as if the world is holding its breath, and he suppresses a shiver. The feeling intensifies at a single point, and through the foliage there is a flash of white. And green and black meet. It only lasts a second, and then the class has moved past. In the end, it isn't anything really. Just a moment between two strangers who would never have met until they did.

And the world was never the same.

 **Their second meeting is a surprise.**

To be honest, Shisui had completely forgotten about the stranger with green eyes in the face of Survival week. It had been rough, and everyone was feeling the strain as they made their way back to civilization. He is the middle of the group this time, talking with Inuzuka Gin, when the class walks past the forest section again. Gin had just told a jock, which was hilarious by the way, and Shisui is laughing as they pass a large tree. A peculiar sensation—almost like a shiver, but not—bubbles up through his chakra. It doesn't hurt, but it does catch his attention and he glances around to see what might have caused the feeling. There, staring out of the bushes are a pair brilliant green eyes looking right at him. He stares back and the feeling intensifies. Then the class moves past and Shisui has to either break eye contact or give away that he's seen something. He looks away. He doesn't look back until he is almost over the ridge of the road, and even then it's only for an instant.

 **Their third is intentional.**

The next day is officially a rest day, but Shisui is up bright and early ( _ **Okay, maybe it wasn't that early**_ _)_ the next morning. It takes him a while to get out of the compound and away from all his nosy relatives, but once he does Shisui shoots out into the village. After two wrong turns he finally manages to find the right road. Panting, Shisui explodes over the crest of the hill and skids to a stop. Scanning the forest boundary, he searches for the spot that creates the weird shiver feeling that he felt yesterday. When he finds it, he rushes over to a nondescript bush and kneels down. Shisui carefully reaches out and moves some of the branches out of the way. There they are: bright green eyes with a pale but dirty face and topped with almost shockingly bright white hair. They are a little wide-eyed, and it looks like he caught them eating their breakfast. The two of us stare at each other for a few seconds.

"Hello," I breathe, fighting not to fidget when they don't respond. They don't say anything in response, but eventually they do wave. Shisui beams. "Hi! Oh, I'm so glad I found you again. Did you know that you feel funny? Do you know why? What's your name? Mine's Shisui. Are you a girl or a boy, 'cause I can't tell. Do you want to be a ninja? Cause you're really good at hiding, but I don't recognize you from the Academy. Oh, do you want to play ninja with me?"

A sound from behind him startles him, causing Shisui to release the branches. Half turning, he sees one of his cousins from the police force. Then a noise from the bush and Shisui can tell from the fading shiver-feel that they've run away

"Shisui-kun what are you doing?" A quick check shows that this is cousin Jin, and not one of Uncle Kaito's 5 other children, all of whom favor their non-Uchiha mother and are all on the police force regardless.

"Cousin Jin! You scared the away!" Shisui pouts, crossing his arms unhappily. Cousin Jin just chuckles,

"Playing with strays again? Well, try not to get all scratched up this time alright." Turning, the older Uchiha jumps back up onto the nearest roof, probably to continue his route.

"It isn't a cat this time, and that wasn't even my fault." Shisui grumbles lowly was he heads back home. He decides to try again tomorrow.

 **The fourth time was a game.**

Unfortunately for Shisui, there is no one there the next day, or the day after. In fact, it is almost an entire week before he runs across them again. He's out doing some shopping for one of the older retired ninja who can't get around very well anymore when he feels the rather unique shiver-shock at the mouth of an alley. Following the feeling Shisui makes his way down the alley to a dumpster that, when he checks, shows signs of having been rummaged through.

See, Shisui has decided that when Cousin Jin said 'stray' what he really meant was 'orphan' and to Shisui it makes perfect sense that an orphan would look for cool new things in places others wouldn't. ( _No it really doesn't._ _ **Shut up I was 5 okay! It made sense at the time!**_ )So, putting that together, he comes up with Green Eyes being the one who was scavenging. As it turns out, he isn't wrong. He suddenly sees movement out of the corner of his eye. Shisui turns to look, and for a second the feeling intensifies, but nothing is there. _'Hmm, I must have scared them off.'_ He makes plans to come back tomorrow and sets off to deliver the stuff he was sent off to fetch.

Tomorrow turns out to be complicated by the Academy, and clan training, and then Itachi, so Shisui doesn't make it back to the dumpster until the next morning. He makes sure to get there really early, because he still has to make it to the Academy in time for class. Excitedly, he peaks over the rim of the dumpster. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like anything was moved yesterday. Disappointed, he half-heartedly pokes around a little bit before heading out to the Academy early. He drops back by after classes finish and is thrilled to find that it looks like **someone** has come by while he was in class, but they seem to have left again. The next several days Shisui plays an intense game of hide-and-seek with his new friend, who's name he **still** doesn't know. He takes to trying to ambush the other as they collect things from the dumpster, which is made harder by the fact there doesn't seem to be a set pattern to their movements. Shisui also takes to leaving little things in the dumpster for them. It isn't mush, a pretty hair ribbon he found and some of his school pencils mostly. Things he realizes that he had kind of been taking for granted. It is fun though, playing like this. Shisui knows that he doesn't really have many friends even though he's a fairly friendly person. Even most of his cousins don't want to play with him. Only Itachi ever wants to hang out, and he always wants to train instead of play. It is nice to have another friend.

Of course, all good things must come to an end.

 **The fifth time is the last.**

One afternoon, when Shisui reaches the turn for the alleyway he finds a large group of people gathered around blocking the area. With little thought, Shisui pushes his way through the crowd so that he can see what's going on. The shiver-static feeling pulses and intensifies as he reaches the front, and then he is out of the crowd and meeting green eyes across the circle. Shisui watches as they shoot off down the alleyway and out of sight with no one else the wiser. He has the feeling that he isn't going to be seeing them again for a while. When he gets home later that night, Shisui asks around about what had happened and finds out that a rookie patrol had spotted a drunk civilian chasing after a small child, who disappeared in the aftermath.

He leaves a kunai in the bushes near the road the next day and never goes back to the dumpster.

The game is over.


End file.
